My daughter has always been a great napper. She went from two naps to one around 14 months old and has since consistently napped from noon to about 2 (give or take) every day. She nurses to sleep for naps and at bedtime (usually around 7:30). Last week she really resisted her nap one day and didn't end up passing out until 2:30. Today, I tried for two hours, took a break and read books for about a half hour, and then tried again. Wide awake. She initially drifts off but the second I move or try to move her she wakes up and is pretty much impossible to resettle. I'm sure I'm jumping the gun, and I'm sure tonight is going to be a wacky one (her first day ever with no nap), but has anyone's kiddo given up naps this soon? Is this just the beginning? Or should I chalk it up to teething (eye teeth are the devil) or something else going on with her and keep trying? It takes all of my strength not to wig out after two hours of trying to get her to sleep! Any advice or wisdom is appreciated!

My 29ish month old has been dropping naps occasionally since she was about your daughter's age. Mine still naps probably 97% of the time. I think it's probably just a long process of nap-dropping. That said, I dropped my nap around then. So, it may be that she is ready. I'd keep offering her naps and see how she responds.

My 2yo started the same thing a couple mos back...some days she skipped and was ok, just earlier to bed (which is always terrifying in itself), other days she was a holy terror, would go down for a 4pm nap then be up til 10 or later. We're dealing with the beginnings of 2yr molars, potty training, and is now in a big girl bed so a whole lot at once! she had shifter her nap later in the day (1-3) and was fine at night but past few nights have been torturous for me getting her to bed at night. I only work part time but it's 10-2 so I'm not around to see how she does mid day and whether she's not sleeping enough and overtired or just doesn't need to nap (FIL watches her). Kind of looking forward to a 4 day weekend to try and get things hashed out and hopefully catch up on sleep myself!

My daughter went through a period of two weeks or so around 22 months where she intermittently just played through her nap. Then she went back to napping reliably for 2-3 hours a day. Now at 31 (?) months (she was 2.5 in october) she has not napped for her dad and I the last few weekends, but still is at daycare. I've noticed on the days that she naps she takes a lot longer to get to sleep. With another on the way I'm trying to just resign myself to the fact that my kids may never both nap at the same time. But at the same time I'm hoping this is just another temporary phase--yours could be too.

I am in the same boat with my 23 month old. Epic nap-fighting and I am tired of fighting my end. I even asked him, after say TWO HOURS of trying to get him to sleep, if he would like to try to fall asleep without mama and he said yes. Then he played loudly for 10 minutes and started yelling, "Mama!" and I went in and he told me he had a dream. He even made up a story about the dream! I think it was his way of trying to get back upstairs to play "after the nap." I'm so tired because I'm pregnant and I really want the nap to just relax. But I wonder, too, if he could just stay up all day and go to bed early. It would have its advantages, like having more time in the evening and not being so damn frustrated (huge plus!).

So many people tell me to keep him napping, but wow, what a trial! I can't imagine doing this when our new baby arrives. Please let us know how it goes with your little one.

Well today she was majorly exhausted from a crazy morning and fell asleep nursing after like 10 minutes, then the second I tried to lay her down, eyes wide open and "all done!" I mean, she's clearly tired but just won't let me move her. I am really thinking it might be her canine teeth pushing through. I'm hoping it is a passing phase because of teething issues and things will go back to normal soon. I'm pretty anxious staring down a long winter with no break to my day. Kids, boy, as soon as you start to get comfortable, they love to switch it up!

Well today she was majorly exhausted from a crazy morning and fell asleep nursing after like 10 minutes, then the second I tried to lay her down, eyes wide open and "all done!" I mean, she's clearly tired but just won't let me move her. I am really thinking it might be her canine teeth pushing through. I'm hoping it is a passing phase because of teething issues and things will go back to normal soon. I'm pretty anxious staring down a long winter with no break to my day. Kids, boy, as soon as you start to get comfortable, they love to switch it up!

This is how I felt, too! DD is really unpredictable when it comes to naps, and I am terrified by the thought that she might not nap when it's too cold for a change of scenery!

I think kids require a nap until at least 3, my dd went until almost 5.... Probably would have still if she didn't start school. But like you said you can't make them nap is I would keep trying and maybe it's just a faze!

DH 31; Me 30; DD 6; DS 1; Baby boy due Dec 17th

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Mine is pretty much finished with naps at 2.5 years. I'd say she was about your DC's age when she started missing naps. For her the process went pretty slow and in spurts. Some weeks she would nap well and then others she would really fight it. I got some great advice which is that if they go to bed at around their normal hour and sleep well, that is a good sign that they are ready.

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3 days in a row with a nap! I think I figured out a combination of unique issues. She has gotten a half dose of ibuprofen before nap (teething issue) and rather than nursing her in our bed and then moving her to her crib (which is what I've done since birth) I nurse her in a chair right next to her crib so the transfer is not as lengthy. It seems to be working. Although now that I've said it, she'll go back to resisting for sure.